(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a register assembly for covering an air duct opening in either the floor, wall or ceiling of a room. The register assembly may be employed with forced air heating and air conditioning systems and may also be employed in covering an air duct opening for a cold air return as well as other similar applications.
(2) Description of Related Art
There are many different types of registers employed in covering air duct openings. Many simply employ a faceplate having a grid or arrangement of louvers that cover over the air duct opening. Many have fixed louvers on their faceplates that direct and disperse air forced through the air duct opening whether heated air or cooled air. In some faceplates of this type, the louvers can be adjusted slightly to direct the air flow through the faceplate. Also, in some of these faceplates, the openings between the louvers can be closed off to stop the forced air through the faceplate.
Some prior art register assemblies include a base that is secured permanently with the faceplate and houses a damping assembly that functions to both block and unblock the flow of forced air through the base and also functions to provide some control over the direction at which the forced air passes through the faceplate of the assembly. These types of register assemblies are commonly used in covering over air duct openings in homes.
More recently, register assemblies have been developed that include a filter element that provides additional filtering of the air passing through the register assembly to the filtering of the air that occurs in the furnace or air conditioning system. Register assemblies have also been developed that include filters where the register assemblies are employed as cold air returns.
In addition, register assemblies have been designed with ornamental faceplates. These register assemblies are primarily intended for use in homes, however, many are finding use in the workplace where their ornamental appearance embellishes the work environment.
The many different types of register assemblies could all be improved upon by a register assembly designed to incorporate all of the desirable features of prior art register assemblies, i.e. a filter, a damping mechanism for regulating the air flow through the register assembly, and an ornamental faceplate. Such a register assembly could be further improved upon if the ornamental faceplate were detachable enabling selection from various different ornamental designs of faceplates to be used on the register assembly, and if the cost of manufacturing the register assembly was not significantly increased by the combination of all of these beneficial features into a single register assembly.